


If coins had three sides

by anassa_anemou



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Accidental Bonding, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Barebacking, Canon AU - Different First Meeting, Frottage, M/M, Multi, Rimming, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-14 22:57:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4583328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anassa_anemou/pseuds/anassa_anemou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve had been bonded once, having it done now, with Stark of all people, someone he barely knows, just really makes him wonder why the hell he chose working for Fury and joining the Avengers Initiative.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LePeru (Nizah)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nizah/gifts).



“What the fuck!” Stark swears loudly and Steve stares at the ceiling, his head feeling achy since the morning. 

When Fury asked him to join the Avengers Initiative he had been cautious, as he met Clint and Natasha and started to work with them in smaller missions, he became confident they could work together. Thor and Banner, he met separately, and his instincts got bristled by both; Steve decided to give them the benefit of the doubt, especially with the Loki situation. 

So, now, with Loki under their eyes, he hadn’t expect much of meeting Stark. As a technological consultant Stark wouldn’t be under his direct influence as Team Captain, specially when he had a previous link to Natasha that allowed them to work together. Steve had held himself and would have prefered to get some rest at the end of the battle, but Stark insisted they get shawarmas. While Steve just wanted to strangle the guy, he had been so fucking hungry, he decided to wait before scolding the man.

“Calm down, Stark. Let’s wait to see what Selvig can tells us about it.” Natasha’s voice is clear and level, her face blank of any emotion. 

“Oh yes, Natalie, of course you are simply calm about this situation. You don’t really have a soul to bond to anyone. Or maybe you fucking betrayed and killed whoever was fool enough to bond to you.” Steve watches the micro transformation in Natasha’s posture, the way she stands millimeters taller. Stark doesn’t see, he just sighs frustratedly and turns his back on everyone.

 

“Let’s all calm down and...” Bruce doesn’t finish because Thor bursts into the room with Selvig.

Steve looks at the doctor’s face, he looks tired after Loki’s brainwashing, both him and Clint. Steve is still a bit unsure if he wants to hear what the doctor has to say, or better yet, if he wants everyone to hear what he wants to say. They won the battle with Loki, Stark saved the day, leaving the helicarrier behind their backs and infringing on his consultant role by flying with the Iron Man suit. This is the first time they are in the same room, the battlegrounds didn’t count, since Stark had ignored his communication and flown solo.

“From the pictures Thor shown and of what briefly bleed from his mind meld with me, Loki’s staff isn’t simply a staff, but holds something of greater power inside.” The doctor sways lightly and Thor holds his shoulder to steady him. “Soul bonding is almost scientific today, we can predict bonds and set conditions to facilitate bonds, but in the old times soul bonding was a central part of the religious amalgama. The staff probably acted with the emotional offput you two had when you touched it; Thor tells me the Captain and Stark didn’t really agree with his participation in the battle, the staff must have been triggered by the anger and conflict happening.”

Steve doesn’t really wants to listen, since he woken up people teased him restless about the 40’s views on soul bonding. On how people confounded lust with the soul bonding first stage and how the old Hollywood had perpetuated the romantic soul bond at first view. Steve had been soul bonded then, people always assumed it was Peggy, and she let him use her as cover, but Steve won’t ever forget how the war forced many people into soul bonds because of the level of stress. Everyone was getting triggered into them as a mean to alleviate their anxiety over the future.

Even then, soul bonding happened more casually than people might think, his mother entered a stage two bond with his dad and then he died in war and she been restless until she bonded with Bucky’s mother. People often forgot that soul bonding was a biological response that tightened family bonds and generate a feeling akin to what people like to call happiness; today they say bonding liberates endorphins constantly, and makes the whole body work with an amazing metabolism - bonding doubles the livelihood and allows for more pregnancies carried to full term.

“In Asgard it is very common for shield brothers to bond, I don’t see what is the problem. ” Thor winces when Tony turns furiously at him.

“Bonding is the foundation of a family, I never wanted to bond, but if I did, I would like to bond with someone I know and respect; I’ve ... ” Stark slams his fist on the table and Bruce moves away from him, flinching slightly. “I have Pepper, this wasn’t supposed to happen.” 

“You and Steve can work rules, Tony, platonic soul bondings aren’t that unheard of. Many people do them after failed romantic bondings or when they want to be emotionally balanced but are either aromantic asexuals or banned sex from their lives by myriad of reasons.” Bruce tries to reason, but Stark moves out of the way, and leaves the room. If the door was a regular door, Steve is sure he would have slammed it shut on his way out.

“Is there any way we can break the bond?” Steve asks and everyone zero’s in his face, apparently they were all so focused in Stark, they forgot he had been bonded as well. 

“By the reading I took, your bond already settled, it’s a level five bond.” Bruce murmurs the word, apologetic. 

“And Loki? Did he say anything?” Steve looks at Thor and the Asgardian shrugs.

“Loki can’t break it, but he wouldn’t if he could. Bonding is one of the most serious things for my brother, he would never meddle with such a vital part of one’s life.” Steve doesn’t say anything back, thought he would like to point out Loki had tried to destruct Earth and is quite probable he wouldn’t care less if the worthless humans got bonding redraw and died. “I’ll return with my brother to Asgard, he will be judged and inquired about ways to break the bond.”

Thor helps the doctor out of the room, their steps carefully, and Steve realizes Dr. Selvig is probably more debilitated than they all must have believed. Steve looks at his teammates and realizes they all look horribly tired, they fought for hours and had been in alert state for almost two days before the battle broke. They need rest and while he is in no shape to anything himself, is his job to guarantee they will all be alright. 

“We can do the full debrief after we rest, I’ll set a date with the director on my way to my quarters. I’ll have a message be sent to all of you with the time and room we will meet. Let’s rest and consider this situation tomorrow.” Steve waits for the rest of his teammates to move, he hopes Natasha and Clint will visit Phil before going to rest, because he is worried about the restless he can see on them after Phil's near death experience. 

Bruce is the first one out of the door and then Natasha and Clint nod at him and leave him alone in the room. He can see when Fury enters, but he doesn’t really care, right now he just needs force to move and go to sleep. 

“Go rest, Captain. I waved your traditional debriefing, and warned your teammates. Use the computer at your room to record a full report any time in the next five days. We will be hovering New York for the next weeks, I don’t recommend doing any sort of reconstruction work.” Fury says it all as an order and Steve just nods before leaving too.

When he can focus again, his face is smashed against the soft pillow Natasha bought him when he complained about the traditional ones at the helicarrier. He won’t think about it, he won’t. At least he manages to black out before he can think about it anymore.


	2. Chapter 2

Him and Stark don’t speak for one whole week, the five days of rest they are are granted pass by in a raziness and Steve powers through his report and taking care of the rest of his team. Bruce keeps spouting the weirdest data about forced bonding, Natasha and Clint look grim and Thor doesn’t comes back; Steve is really missing his Brooklyn nook. 

They pass by briefly in a corridor, but Stark doesn’t even look at him, running like a madman and Steve moves out of his way. He is not avoiding Stark per se, but considering stage five allows for mates to be away from each other, Steve has been fully seizing the opportunity.

“Captain Rogers, report to briefing room C-301.” Steve gets slightly startled, he really doesn’t like the coms. He would very much prefer to have the message delivered by a person.

He leaves his tray at one of the cleaning stations and feels slightly unsettled in not washing his own plate, but since he was called, he should probably not be tardy to respond. People seem to walk calmly, so he thinks they probably aren’t in a world threatening situation. 

“Please come in Captain Rogers.” Fury seems tense, and Steve stands in full attention. 

He sits and the holograms come to live, it’s a hospital bed, in a crispy white room, full of doctors and nurses bustling around. The men in the bed is convulsing and Steve watches the feed with some confusion. There were several agents with injuries at the battle and Steve been full hands on in the recovering of the city and the injured.

“Stark recovered him from a facility while helping the reconstruction of the city. He been studying the undergrounds since Loki stole the tesseract from our base, Howard had unofficial plants of the first stages of SHIELD’S and he thought he could find somewhere to replace the one we lost. ” Fury pauses and Steve gets up and moves closer to the image, which is zoomed to show the patient fully.

Steve gives a step back, his eyes getting full of tears. Stark must be playing a prank on him, only Fury would never get along with it. He doesn’t understand what the hell is happening, but that is Bucky, laid there, thrashing in bed and Steve just wants to be there to hold him. 

“We believe whatever Zola injected in him made him survive the cold the same way you did, and that the Soviets brought him over to America sometime after the end of cold war.” Fury continues to talk, but Steve only half listens. “He is missing an arm and passing through bond redrawn.”

Fury seems to realize he isn’t paying any attention, because he waits quietly until Bucky sags into the bed after one of the doctor’s injects him with something. Steve doesn’t unglued his eyes from the now sleeping man, but he asks immediately after he seems to be sleeping.

“I’m here, what is he dropping?”. Steve stumbles the words out before continuing. “I can hold him, close proximity can...” Fury waves a hand and his hard stare shut Steve up.

“With your new bonding we aren’t sure on what can happen, so the doctors will monitor him until we know what to do. Dr. Banner is analyzing the data and trying to find other cases of double bonding, so far he only has data on triads, which makes his progress slow.”

“I want to see him.” Steve turns to look at Fury again.

“Look, Captain, I understand this a dire situation, and because of that we need to ensure yours, Stark’s and Barnes’ health.” 

They both glare at each other, but Steve nods shortly, before turning to look at Bucky again. He has no idea what to do. Fury leaves him by himself and he doesn’t move to leave the room, because he is certain he is on lockdown. Why things doesn’t seem to get better?

***

He really wants to see Bucky, so when they finally release him only to transfer him to another room and one with Stark on it, he really isn’t in the best mood. Stark on his part looks exhausted, the darkest dark circles under his eyes. Steve almost wants to lean in, but he holds himself in.

“Stop with the passing, I’m already groggy with sleep, I don’t need a dizzy spell as well.”

“Then go to sleep.”

“I can’t.” Stark spits it and almost smashes his head to the table.

And it’s then Steve realizes, that while he didn’t feel anything strange in the last days, it doesn’t mean Stark didn’t feel anything. Suddenly he feels guilty; while Stark had disobeyed his orders, he was essential to win the battle and he, one way or the other, is part of Steve’s team and Steve didn’t even ask after him. The matter is aggravated because Tony is bonded to him.

“Stark, look, I...”

“Don’t break yourself, Rogers. I found your mate, we will find a way to break this shit off and then we both can be happy, each one of us on our own.”

“Sit down, both of you.” Natasha enters the room and gives each of them a pad. “Barnes is in coma, Bruce believes small exposures to a level five bonded pair might take him off the drop and wake him up. So we need you two to start visiting him regularly.”

“Of fucking course.” Stark sits again and Steve just stares at him, without blinking. 

“You just said.” Steve starts, but Stark shakes his head.

“Send me the schedule, I’ll set something up to work while I’m there. Don’t open your mouth, Rogers, I won’t lose my time over this. If we must do it, then I’ll do what I can to recuperate my time.” Again Stark leaves and this time Steve wants to go talk to him, but Natasha holds him.

“Let him, Stark hormonal levels been all over the place. He agreed with this, leave it at that; you saw my report, Stark isn’t meant to work in a team.” Natasha says it in a light tone, but Steve frowns at her.

“He saved us, he found Bucky, he been hiper proactive in the reconstruction. He might not been team ready then, but I think he might be one day.” Steve flushes when Natasha side-eyes him, but she nods and they break apart.

He is getting protective of Stark, his speech to Natasha is a hint. He wonders if Stark and him could develop a platonic bond or if he would get integrated into Steve’s and Bucky’s bond. Triads are more stable when they settle than a two person bond, but Steve isn’t sure how they work with three men. There is also Bucky to consider, and how well he will recover; Zola serum might not been perfect. 

Steve needs to talk to Stark, one way or the other.


	3. Chapter 3

It all starts with Stark ignoring Steve and Bucky, he doesn't speak to Steve or looks at Bucky, but when Bruce comes to check on Bucky’s the hormonal levels Stark reports on all the changes in the readings and suggests intravenous hormonal treatment to help speed the recovery. 

Steve tries to speak in the second day, but it’s hard to pry Stark from circuit board he keeps on working. By the third day Steve is getting antsy, but Stark only leaves the room to switch boards and the little time he is away Steve get’s worried by Bucky. When Bruce told him their stable bond could help his friend, Steve been skeptical, but every time Tony or Steve left the room, Bucky got agitated.

“Are you going to keep avoiding me?” Steve asks after they eat the plates Clint brought them; the food isn’t the best, but Steve appreciates his friend initiative. 

“I’m literally in the same room as you, for days.” Stark snorts, but he doesn’t moves his eyes from the circuit.

Steve huffs and turns to look at Bucky, he looks pale still, but incredibly better since they recovered him. Bruce told him Stark administrated all the procedure to someone that had a drop bond, using his own hormonal levels to bring Bucky’s up. This situation is making him reavaluate Tony and Steve doesn’t even know what to do with it.

“Bruce thinks we might be able to move him to one of the Avenger’s floors by Friday. I think we should stay at the penthouse, there is extra space.” Tony says it slowly and Steve realizes he is afraid of what Steve will say.

“Won’t it bother Ms. Potts?” Steve asks and immediately regrets it, because Tony face are pure cold when he turns to look at Steve.

“Ms. Potts is not your problem. I prefer to go back to sleep in my room and there are two spare bedrooms for both of you; Bruce thinks he will be stable enough to need less hours around me. ” Tony doesn’t say us and Steve frowns.

“I thought he needed to be near us all the time.” Steve asks and Tony looks back at incredulous.

“We will just move him to your quarters. He won’t need to that many hormones to deal with the drop and yours will be enough. When he wakes up we can break our bond and transfer your drop to his.” Tony says it all without irony and Steve nods.

“And what about your drop?” 

Tony rolls his eyes and doesn’t say anything, Steve doesn’t pry, it’s clear the conversation is over. He thinks, maybe, with the time they will spend together, they can eliminate at least the old animosity, but he can’t not feel the frustration.

***  
“Howard kept some of your drawings, they wanted me to donate them to the Museum, but I knew dad would rather me sell my liver then lose his memorabilia. I gave Coulson one of them to replace his cards. ” It comes out of the blue and startles Steve, but he doesn’t say anything, just nods with a small smile and continues to draw Tony; he thinks it’s looking good.

Today Tony is working in hand Steve thinks it’s from one of his suits. It’s slightly finer than the gauntlets from the Iron Man suit, but Tony seems to be happy with the result, specially when he makes the fingers move.

“What are you working on?”

“It’s just a prototype, something to get the time to pass.” He is so careless, that Steve just nods and he puts it behind him.

***

“Don’t worry, Steve. He is much better and Jarvis can monitor the rest for me.” Bruce finishes settling the monitors and Steve breathes easier. 

Until now, with Bucky in a regular room, he couldn’t believe things would be ok. It almost looked like a dream, to have Bucky back in this new world, where being with him isn’t as strange and wrong as it used to be. He finally has something to look for and he almost doesn’t believe it.

“Just keep staying with him, Tony will come by to be with you and let’s hope as he gains more conscience, he won’t make your bond to Tony unstable.”

“Is that a concern, Bruce?” 

“Of course it is, Steve, but we are trying to work the best we can. Your bond solidified unusually and fast, so you and Tony been feeling incredibly stable at the moment. When James wakes up, he will only have the memory of being bonded to you, so the hormonal levels will try to match yours and a third part being added to an already stable bond might unstable it.” 

“Tony and I aren’t fighting much, is the bond...” Steve has to ask, because while they aren’t friendly, they aren’t fighting either.

“The bond is pumping you full of endorphins, which makes both of less volatile, but at the moment your bond is behaving as a platonic bond. Bonds don’t create feelings, they just leave people at the top of their form so they might have a better chance of solidifying their relationships, which means healthier, saner and well adjusted individuals.” Bruce pauses and sits in the other chair they positioned near the bed. “I believe the bond will add Bucky to it, triads aren’t that uncommon today and since you are three males it’s easier for the hormones to settle. If not, well, we will have to consider breaking the bond, but since Tony had trouble adapting to the initial stage, we might have to take other measurements. ”

Steve thinks about it, Tony did look like crap at the first days they been together looking after Bucky and Clint told him Tony had thrown up almost non-stop until Bruce found him and administered the same hormonal injections they were using in Bucky. 

“Why is Tony having a harder time with the bond? I feel fine.”

“And you are a super soldier.” Bruce sighs and gives him his tablet. “Tony suffered a bond drop a few years ago, combined with his heart issues he became more fragile to bonding. Pepper and him decided against a forced bond after they didn’t create a natural one.”

“So that’s why he is upset by the bond.” Bruce shakes his head and points to the tablet and it’s then Steve sees Ms. Potts bonded with someone, she is already in level two. 

“Oh.” Steve looks at Tony at the door, and the mechanics frowns at him, before looking at Bruce and leaving the room. “Is he okay?” 

“I don’t know, he doesn’t say much. I’m happy he been, at least, letting me examine him.” 

Steve gives the tablet back and Bruce excuses himself before leaving. Bucky stays still and Steve feels lost; he doesn’t have any idea what he wants to happen. Maybe he should look for Tony and figure out what he thinks. They been long enough without discussing the bond.


	4. Chapter 4

Bucky recovery in the two weeks after they move to the penthouse. Tony is the one with him at the room when he opens his eyes for the first time and he freaks out so bad that he gets a third degree burn in his leg and Steve ends up with two people under his care, one grumpy and one that is still in coma, but apparently opens his eyes.

“Stop with the mother hen act, Rogers.” Tony snaps at him and Steve retorts.

“For the gods sake, Tony, will you just shut up.” Steve looks at Bucky and he has his eyes open, but doesn’t seem to be seeing anything. 

He continues to change the bandages on Tony, applying the salve Bruce gave him; it’s a engineered creme, that accelerates the healing and apparently it’s from a researcher Bruce been exchanging with. The burn is progressing quickly, but since Tony insists in continue his work, Steve has to change the bandages and get rid of all the filth everyday. He also has to bathe Bucky and sometimes it is awkward, especially when Tony keeps being salacious and giving him the sad eyes at the same time.

“Keep them clean, whatever it is you are working, can wait a few days.” Steve gives him the Captain Voice and Tony stares angrily at him, until he gives up and pushes the circuits away, and picks up the tablet Bruce left at his bedside in the morning.

Steve lies down beside Bucky, the enormous bed is still full of space, but he huddles close to his friend. He touches Bucky arm, the one he lost, the skin is pink and healthy. It’s weird, but Steve hadn’t even thought about it until today, and he wonders if Tony could work on something. 

“Nighty, night.” Tony giggles and Steve only notices he is drooling, the next day, when he sees an angry looking Bucky pushing aside.

“Knock it off, punk.” It send a thrill through Steve, to hears this words and he punches Bucky, without thinking. 

“Don’t go breaking him, I’ve been working hard in fixing him.” Tony says it coyly and Bucky only blinks before snorting.

“What is the bearded punk doing in our bed, Steve? Did you pick him up in a brothel? Am I not enough? Oh, my poor bonded heart.” Steve sees the mirt in him and almost wants to play back, but Tony seems to get scalded.

“I’ll go an talk to Bruce, he can change my bandages.” Tony all but flees the room and Steve looks hopeless to the door.

“Care to explain the fancy joint?” Bucky smiles at him, looking at Steve and apparently not seeing his arm. 

“How much do you remember?” Steve is cautious, he isn’t sure what Bucky knows or not.

“Falling down that damned train and thinking I would never see your face.I’m not sure what happened next, it was fucking cold, but … ” Steve pulls him into his arms.

He isn’t careful, but Bucky doesn’t seem to mind. When Bucky mouth touches his shoulder Steve wants to slam him into the bed and return the kissing, but he holds himself, there is something that just makes him want to cherish that moment, slow things down, as much as he can. He gets a small pinch at the back of his neck, but chooses to ignore, he will deal later. They stay like that, just holding each for the morning, it’s only later that Bucky moves in his arms, that Steve realizes it’s late.

“Who is he, Steve?” Bucky asks shyly and Steve doesn’t know what to say, he wants to assure Bucky and say he isn’t no one, but something tells him to be careful.

“Tony is a friend, we work together and, we, well.” Steve stops and and he feels Bucky tense.

“Did you bond with him?” Bucky, ever the perceptive, and Steve curses internally.

“It was an accident, we were forced to.” Steve blurts and Bucky pulls from him, falling to his side and closing his eyes.

“That doesn’t seem to be the true.” Bucky sits in the bed and he seems to want to move, but something's catches his eye and he freezes. His hand moves to his mouth and Steve aches to touch him, but he knows he can’t. “What the fuck happened to my arm, Steve?” 

“When you fell, you got frozen, the idiots who rescued you shopped it off, but I made one better.” Tony strides into the room, he has a mechanical arm in his hand and suddenly Steve feels ashamed. Tony been working non-stop at the arm, Steve recognizes the fingers and Steve nagged him to stop. “Maybe we can make it shoot lasers, for now I think it might work well for your daily tasks.”

“Are you kidding me, how did you do that?” Bucky looks mesmerized by the moving fingers. He makes grabby hands at the arm and Tony let’s him touch it.

“I’ll show you my armor later, we just have to let gramps allow you to leave the bedroom.” Tony kids and Bucky gets slightly confused, but he just nods, asking if Tony can put it on.“ I need you to take a big breath, it will hurt a bit, but then it will stabilize. Bruce, Helen and I will work on making a permanent one, that is completely grafted to your nervous system, but this will do for now. ”

Steve watches as Tony gets the arm in place and Bucky curses loudly, but doesn’t move. He sees how delicate Tony is, and how Bucky seems to lean into him, as if to catch his breath. They stay like that, holding themselves still, until Bucky moves one finger and Tony makes a “yuppi” sound and Bucky laughs.

“For god sakes.” Steve smiles and falls to the bed, things continue to get stranger by the hour.


	5. Chapter 5

“You are telling me Bucky’s bond is still intact and that him and Tony suffered from a bond going from stage one to five with each other, while their bonds to me were just stable?” Steve looks incredulous to Bruce and Natasha and he really doesn’t want to hear about this.

“If it helps, my triad didn’t magically bonded. Phil had diarrhea and chest pain for a month, when I joined his and Clint’s bond and Clint had migraines he tried to hide, but both me and Phil weren’t idiots not to see the tension in the way he carried himself.” Natasha says it lightly and Bruce seems to surprised to see her sharing. 

“Bethy and I, we experienced back pain, migraines and high blood pressure, much like Tony did. When we saw a bond therapist, after the other guy, he said she would start having bigger pain to the point of convulsions. ” Bruce doesn’t say that’s when he left, because the something that was supposed to get them in top shape was slowly ruining the woman he loved.

The lab is quiet, Steve never considered how peaceful and perhaps lonely Bruce gets here. He only visited sparse times, usually when he wanted to run away from Tony. It’s odd being here when he left Bucky and Tony in the man’s own lab, to set up the new upgrades Tony could only make in Bucky’s arm with him awake.

“Do you think they will still suffer from more symptoms?” 

“Maybe, maybe not. I’m still monitoring all of you and I’ll continue to do so for the next months. At this point we must be careful and consider your bond to be quite unique. I’m not sure how it will progress. I’m hoping Thor can give us more information on it.” Bruce takes off his glasses and sets them at the table, he looks so tired that both Natasha and Steve get alert.

“You might want to get some sleep, Bruce.” Natasha says it carefully, her eyes on Steve, instead of the doctor.

“I’m having some trouble sleeping, the whole bond movement is messing with the other guy, but I set up a meeting with friend to evaluate what is happening. ” Steve nods, he will keep a closer look, but if Bruce thinks he can handle, Steve will believe his word.

“I’ll check into SHIELD’s database, while I’m sure Tony already hacked into it, we might get something out of the cases he deemed boring.” Natasha almost floats out of the room and Steve blinks at the small smile Bruce gives them.

“They finally entered level four, and the triad is stable. Clint ask me to check them up last week.” Steve feels relieved to be around another stable bond, things could get chaotic if they had two triads working their issues in the same place.

“I’ll check on Tony and Bucky, please get some rest Bruce, I don’t want to come barging and get on your wrong side.” Steve makes a joke and Bruce only glares a little at him, no signal of green anywhere.

Before he goes to the other lab, Steve passes by the kitchen, grabbing the leftover pizza he finds; Tony and Bucky for sure didn’t eat, and he isn’t really in the mood to scold them, so he will simply get them something easy and hope they don’t whine.

“Look who is displaying voyeuristic behavior.” Tony teases from the bench he is sitting, Bucky’s arm is stretched between them, in a level Tony must have built to get everything in the right position. 

“Steve always been the Peeping Tom.” Tony seem delighted Bucky knows what he is talking about and Steve is almost ashamed to have checked with Jarvis Bucky’s internet history; because since he woken up Tony been catching him up with the world and Bucky, as he always has, been avid in absorbing the maximum information. 

“Eat the pizza, when you guys are done. I’ll just sit here and read.” Steve knows he is blushing, and he gives heaven a small thank you neither of them know what is it about.

He picks the book he left in the couch last night and goes to pretend to read it. Tony doesn’t know it’s one of his favorites, so he knows all the details if anyone asks and Bucky might think he is re-reading stuff they used to read as kids. The important part is that he can watch them.   
And what a sight they make.

***

Bucky starts a teasing game, he keeps moving away from Steve, but huddles close to Tony when they are watching a movie. He makes breakfast and there is always extra strong coffee for Tony, and when they are done, he manages to convince Tony to take a nap in the couch. 

Tony seems to be taking it lightly, and he smiles at Bucky, much more than to Steve. It also baffles Steve how easily and gentle Tony introduces the present to Bucky. They watch movies and tv series, they drive each of Tony’s collection cars through New York to see the changes in the city. Tony also takes them to restaurants and pubs, underground galleries and parties; and he doesn’t leave their side, even when a pretty brunette tries to dance with him.

“Is it weird that I like getting pampered like this?” Bucky asks Tony and the man only smiles at him, sliding his chocolate mousse to Bucky.

“I say we just enjoy it for now.” Steve frowns at Tony’s words, but he gets distracted by Bucky’s moaning over the mousse and late he forgets to ask Tony why just now.  
***

Steve been in love with vision of both the dark heads near each other, the gentle whispers they trade as Tony twicks with Bucky’s arm. Their thighs are aligned in the bench, and for a second Steve can see himself there, just in the middle, kissing one of them while the other is a comfortable, hot, weight on his back.

He didn’t tell Bruce about it, but it’s been two weeks since he started to get plagued by the dreams. Every night he has to leave the bed and take a cold shower. In the morning he sees the tiny smirks Bucky keeps sending his way and he almost wants to show his tongue in a childish manner. 

Licking his lips, Steve almost drools when he sees Bucky open up his legs and let Tony slid closer, his hand coming to rest just in the junction of where Bucky’s shoulder meets the metallic arm. Tony’s rough fingers dance around the edge, his face concentrated, but his eyes are blown and Steve is almost sure the man is getting overworked as well. This trips to Tony’s lab been more frequent and Steve knows it’s not just because Tony is still working on Bucky’s arm, but because they want to stay close.

“I think we should put up a show.” Tony whispers and Bucky whines bucking into Tony, his hips looking furiously for friction. 

Bucky only nods and Tony goes straight to his mouth, kiss and biting, tongue coming to peak when Steve moans loudly at the rush he is feeling as they lose into each other. The tools fall to the floor, clanking. Bucky’s pant ends up ripped and Steve almost jumps out of his seat when Tony spits on his mouth and starts jerking Bucky off.

It’s delicious and maddening to see the red spread around Bucky’s neck, his mouth swollen and wet, as Tony works his cock. Tony’s is all experienced, pinching Bucky’s nipples and letting his teeth work a bruise in Bucky’s neck. Bucky gets less submissive and slams Tony back, his mouth searching for the engineers, while he slaps Tony’s hand away from his own cock to grab Tony’s hip and rut against him.

Steve is panting, but he feels frozen in place. He wants to go there and pull them both by the hair and make them suck his cock, but he also wants to watch them fuck around with each other and see how far they are going to take it. 

“Steve...” Bucky moans and Tony bites at his shoulder, this time breaking the skin and Bucky roars against him, coming in a splash against their stomachs. 

Tony continues to fuck into Bucky’s hand, his eyes closed and he looks beautiful. Right there Steve vows to talk to them, and as Tony comes and tries to catch his breath, he also promises he will punish them for this teasing show and definitely participate closely next time. 

“I think this experiment was a success.” Tony says it against Bucky’s neck.

“Next time Steve won’t move like a grandpa and he will take the initiative.” Bucky smiles coyly and Steve snorts back at them.

“Next time I’ll spank you two for misbehaving in public.” Bucky laughs and Tony looks so surprised his eyes might pop.

Steve doesn’t miss when they high five each other. He really shouldn’t have said anything; it would have been even more gratifying to see Tony’s read bottom, if he saw that awed face them.


	6. Chapter 6

Thor returns and Steve is called to Bruce’s lab yet again, this time Tony and Bucky follow him and they are met with a tense atmosphere. The Argardian has a frown in his face and Natasha back is so straight Steve worries she is going to break it. In the table, shines Loki’s staff and Steve wonders what it is doing back on Earth, when Thor informed he would be taking it back to Asgard.

“Steven, mother confided in me that the staff Loki carries one of the Infinity Stones, it is said they can be united and give incredible powers to the one that has them. If your bond was created by one of them, it is quite possible it will destroy the bond when someone uses the Staff again.”

“Can’t we destroy that thing?” Tony asks and Thor looks at him incredulous.

“If you try to destroy it, destruction will be unleashed on Earth. I do not know if anyone will survive. ” Thor words seem final and Steve just looks at the staff.

If someone uses the staff, namely Loki, if he escapes and recovers what was lost or if they are attacked again, there is a great chance his bond will suffer. They can’t destroy the staff and if they leave it with SHIELD to keep, it might get stolen or worst. Steve has no idea what to do and neither are teammates.

“Let’s keep the staff here for now and we can evaluate the situation again after looking into the lore about this stones.” Bruce nods to Steve and places the staff in a holder, mentioning after both Thor and Natasha to accompany him out. 

After they leave, Steve turns to look at Bucky and Tony. It breaks his heart to see them with the sad faces. He isn’t sure what he can say, things are uncertain and Steve doesn’t want to promise anything. Bucky’s face hardens and Tony face is blank, and Steve just wants to close his eyes.

“I want to speak with that punk, and I want punch his face. And then I’m going to fucking skank blondie and after that I want to rest. But after, after I’m going to score this damn city and we are going to find someone to look into our bond, because if wikipedia is right, they have all kinds of crap treatments to make bonds, so we can start all over and be bonded the right way.”

“I told you he needs to stop watching Netflix.” Steve says it in his Captain America I’m disappointed face and Tony cringes for a moment before bursting into a giggle.

“What?” Bucky growls at him and Tony snorts loudly before turning to hope on one of the tables.

“I know we all been worried about this, but the maximum the staff will make is that mine bonds will collapse.” Steve puts a hand in Tony’s shoulder, waiting for him to quieten himself.

“We should talk. We didn’t say anything before, but we need to figure this out.” Bucky seems deflated, but Steve can still see his eyes hard.

“There isn’t anything to talk, your bond will stick and ours will collapse. Enjoy while we can and then pick up the pieces. ” Tony’s tone is half bitter, half resigned and Bucky slams his fist in the table.

“What the fuck, Stark? I didn’t bitch about waking up and seeing you bonded to my guy. I’ve been rolling with everything and now you want to give up?” Bucky leaves the room, he doesn’t slam the door as Tony is prone of doing, but his fist left marks at the table and Steve tries to calm down.

He hates seeing Bucky like that; back then he would stay like that when Steve ended up beaten or when they didn’t have enough money for food. Now, they should be enjoying being together again, but the uncertainty is killing all of them. 

“Neither of us wanted this bond, but don’t you feel even a bit happy about it?” Steve asks quietly, he doesn’t know what to say but he needs to ask that at least.

“It’s not that I’m not happy, but this wasn’t even supposed to happen. I wasn’t suppose to bond, Cap.” Tony says it in a level tone and Steve wishes he would be sarcastic or yell at him.

“Maybe you weren’t supposed to, but you are and you need to decided if you want to be or not.” Steve looks at him and Tony stays quiet.

“I want to.” Tony whispers and Steve nods.

“Can you talk to Bruce and check if we can do something to redo the bond?” Tony nods.

“Ok.”

***  
They don’t find anything on remaking a bond, the Infinity Stones are even bigger mysteries and Steve is frustrated. He thought that when both Bucky and Tony had adapted with the situation things would be ok, but now he isn’t sure what to do.

“I want to see Loki, he must know something.” Steve and Thor are in Iron Man’s launching pad and Steve demands to see Loki.

“You cannot come to Asgard and he cannot come to Midgard, Steven.” Thor’s words are precise and Steve really wants to punch him.

“If bonds are so sacred to him, there must be a way he could help.” 

“Loki is suffering from bond drop, and he is highly debilitated. Even if he knows something, I can’t go to him.” Steve asks why not and Thor passes his hand through his hair, face darkening.

“Father forbid me to get near him or our bond won’t break. As a criminal to the Nine Realms he cannot be bonded to the Asgard prince.” He rasps it and Steve holds on his elbow, trying to comfort him.

“I need to do something, Thor.” 

“I know.”


	7. Chapter 7

Loki surprises Thor, traveling through a gap in the realms, Bucky helps him when he topples to the floor, none the wise. Bruce stables him and they start the same treatment ministered to Bucky and Tony, and Steve starts to feel a glimpse of hope. Thor too seems less stiff and Steve wonders if they can keep Loki in Earth.

“How is he?” Steve asks Thor and Thor smiles.

“The doctor says Loki will wake up soon, we are fortunate that he has a higher metabolism; it made it quicker to him to recuperate.” Thor puts a hand in his shoulder and Steve looks at him, deviating his eyes from Loki. “Thank you for letting him stay in the Avengers guard, I’ll be eternally grateful and I shall make sure Loki helps you and your bondees.”

They part, Steve goes to check upon Tony and Bucky and Thor goes back to sit in Loki’s bed. Hopefully he will wake up soon and Steve want to believe Loki will be helpful and they can resolve things. He finds Tony and Bucky asleep in bed, Bucky’s head laid in Tony’s chest and Tony’s arm around him. Steve joins them, sleeping only after a few minutes listening to their heartbeats.

***

“Of all the idiotic things you ever asked me.” Steve wakes up to Loki’s and Thor’s whispers.

“They have helped you, when they should not. You will do what is needed to them to keep their bond.” 

“I shall not do what you want, Odinson.”

“Brother...”

“I am not your brother!” Loki snaps and hisses when Thor holds him by his neck.

“Help them, we will deal with our disagreements later.” Loki shows teeth, baring them to Steve, but he does move his hands in front of him.

His instinct is to protect both his guys, but Thor nods at him and he keeps an alert state, but he doesn’t move. Loki speaks in a language Steve doesn’t understand, and his hands starts to glow green, when he finishes, Steve doesn’t feel different.

“Did it work?” 

“I am not a stupid sycophant like you.” Loki hisses again and Thor let’s go of him.

Bucky moves from under Tony’s arm and stops just in front of Loki, his eyes tightened and he flicks Loki’s nose. Steve doesn’t know if he laughs or if he scolds Bucky for provoking a man he knows it’s dangerous. Tony tenses at his side and they both wait to see what will happen, but neither Bucky nor Loki move.

“Do you want to eat? I make mean pancakes.” Bucky smirks at Loki and only then Steve realizes the grumbling sound that he hears is actually Loki stomach.

“I could eat, but I do not know if these pancakes are worthy.” Bucky punches Loki’s arm and drags him out the door.

“Well, that was anticlimactic.” Tony murmurs while he kisses Steve’s ear.

Steve only glares at him, after the Chitauri, recovering Bucky and dealing with the bond, Steve really wants boring.


	8. Chapter 8

_A year later._

Steve slaps Tony’s bum and waits for his reaction, but he doesn’t move. Before Steve can think if there is something wrong with him, Bucky jumps on top of him, apparently dropping from the vents and making Steve crumple to the floor. Tony cackles and Steve knows they been planning the prank for a while. 

“Horrible boyfriends.” Steve gasps and overthrows Bucky to the side, kissing and pinning him to the floor.

“You like it.” Tony licks his neck, hands going straight to Steve’s boxer. “So, I have lube in my pocket, are we going to be dirty here, in the kitchen?”

“Jarvis, let everyone know the kitchen is off limits for the next hour.” Steve says in his Captain America voice and Tony giggles against his neck. 

“Oh Cap, how far have the mighty have come.” Steve can almost see the smile that gets brushed in his skin.

“Less talk, more smooching. ” Bucky bites into Steve skin and makes him moan; their cocks rub against each other and Steve wants more than ever the feeling of skin against skin.

Tony gets rid of his clothes, watching avidly the other two. He makes them stop kissing, pulling at Steve shirt; it gets stuck in his head and Bucky laughs, but helps Tony get it off. Steve rips Bucky t-shirt, in revenge, and moves from their embrace, to go sit on top of the kitchen island. 

Steve waits patientially, removing his belt and then his pants. When he goes to remove his socks, Tony and Bucky each take one feet and do it for him; Steve had lost his shoes as soon as he got to the tower, because he loved the feeling of the cool floor against his feet. Bucky goes straight to his cock, sucking at his balls, one and then the other. Tony, naked for a while now, helps Bucky to get rid of his remaining ones. 

The view is lovely and Bucky mouth makes Steve want to buck harder against his throat. He loves that Tony is already preparing Bucky, his mouth restless in making hickeys in Bucky’s neck and shoulder. Bucky’s teeth get just at the side of his cock and Steve holds his hair, pulling at it and making him groan. Steve fucking loves the vibrations. 

“Come on Cap, you don’t want to come now.” Tony gently pulls Bucky behind and let’s his fingers out of his ass.

Tony moves Bucky’s legs and arms, arranging him in all fours. He pulls at Steve hands, and guides him too, positioning him. It’s one of Steve's favorite configurations, him in the middle, penetrating Bucky while Tony fucks him from behind. He can already feel Tony’s lubed fingers testing his entrance. Steve goes carefully in, trying to concentrate only in Bucky and forget what Tony is doing; he doesn’t want to hurt Bucky, even if both Tony and Bucky always tease him for his Captain face while doing it.

Steve bottoms out and Tony waits for him to give the first shallow thrusts, before he gets the first finger in. A quick tongue gets added to the mix and Steve gasps when Tony bites into his bum. The pain is only momentary, and Tony soothes it licking and then diving back to his hole. Steve is almost floating, Bucky’s tight hole squeezing his cock, while Tony kisses and sucks and licks him.

By the third finger, Steve starts to speed it up and Bucky starts moaning higher, his eyes rolling into the sockets - Steve secretly loves how sweaty he gets, how he has to push the hair out of the way and have Bucky smile at him when he does it. He feels Tony’s cock nudged at him and them the head pops inside and Steve stops moving for a second. 

“Steveee...” Bucky whines, but Steve waits, he wants Tony to join them. 

When it feels like forever, Tony starts moving, his trusts picking up pace until he is slamming into Steve; right then, Steve licks his hand and starts pumping Bucky’s cock, getting him hard again, ready. Steve squirms when Tony starts to fuck into his prostate, but Tony quickly holds his hip and adjust him to go deeper. 

Steve isn’t sure how it happens, because he gets lightheaded. There are so many sensations, something wet in his hand, Tony hot breath against his neck and Bucky “fuck,fuck, fuck”. When he opens his eyes again, it’s to Phil face, disappointed frown in place, before they get hit with a blanket. Bucky snickers and Tony openly laughs and Steve, well, he is too pleased to say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A tiny pwp never killed anyone.

**Author's Note:**

> I might have smashed one too many prompts you gave. But I hope it was still joyful.


End file.
